Like lobster? Today is the final day of spiny lobster mini-season.
It’s a head start for recreational fishermen before commercial crews can begin lobster trapping.
Florida Fish and Wildlife officers will be out enforcing the rules.
Recreational fisherman cannot use traps or spears. The crustaceans must be handpicked.
FWC will be making sure the lobsters are long enough as the carapace must be longer than 3 inches.
Fishermen are only allowed 12 lobsters per person and must avoid female, egg-bearing lobsters.
The regular season for commercial and recreational fishermen begins Wednesday, Aug. 6.
While there’s a lot of rules for spiny lobsters, FWC said to ‘have at it’ if you see a lionfish. The state wants the invasive species gone.
“We are trying to take out the lionfish any which way we can,” said FWC spokesman Lenny Salberg. “So if you’re down there and you’re looking for some lobster and there’s no lobster to be had, go ahead and take out those lionfish, spear them, hook them, whichever way you can.”
Starting Friday, importing live lionfish into Florida will be prohibited.
The invasive fish is considered a threat to other marine life off Florida’s coast.